Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-05-05

son was everywhere received with the most
enthusiastic greetings, and congress by joint
resolution directed that he be presented with
suitable testimonials of bis service. In 1919 he
retired from congress and was elected to the
legislature, which body at once raised him to
the United States senate, and in 1892, in
reelection to that high office, accorded him
the honor of the first unanimous election of
the kind in the history of the state. While
serving in this capacity he became impressed
with the hardships of the old English common
law, then in vogue I'm the United States,
which turned every county Jail into a mar
shalsea for the oppression of unfortunate
debtors. He drafted a bill to ameliorate the
condition of this class of citizens by enlarging
the area of their confinement to the boun-
DIARIES of the town, which the legislature of
Kentucky passed in 1920. The next year he
was made happy as the author of the first bill
in the United States. passed by the Kentucky
legislature, for the adjustment of imprison-
ment for debt Other states followed the
example of Kentucky, until now there are
but few, If any, states in the Union in which a
debtor may be detained in prison for his debts,
excepting in the instance of an overt attempt
at fraud in leaving the state In 1899 Col John
son retired fr pm the senate and was elected to
represent his district in the lower house of
congress. During this period in the early
part of the "thirties," when the mail was car
ried by stage coach and post boys on horses,
certain ones in congress conceived the idea
that it was dissertation of the Sabbath to
transport mails on Sunday. They presented
bill to cause all mail employees to suspend
further Transmission of the mail from Satur-
day midnight until Sunday midnight. A
great cry went up over the country and
especially west of the Allegheny mountains
Col johnson was appointed chairman of
the committee to take the matter under ad-
vlsement, and his report, which congress
aiterward adopted by rejecting the bill, was
regarded mastery work on the questions in
conflict even to the present day between the
necessities of the people in good govern
ment and the moral injury in the sanction of
certain laws as bad government. It was al
legged that the report was prepared by Elder
Alexander Campbell, the founder of the Chris
tan church, and a warm friend of Col John
son, and his brother, John T. johnson, who
was an elder and follower of Mr. Campbell in
the church.
AT the thirteenth presidential election, in
1886, on the Democratic ticket, when Martin
Van buren, was elected president, Col John
son received 147 electoral votes, Francis
Granger II, John Tyler Al and William
ing majority, the election devolved upon
the senate, which subsequently chose Col.
johnson. At the expiration of his term he
retired to his farm in Scott county, but was
shortly afterward elected to the legislature,
of which body he was a member when he
died in Frankfort in November, 1850. The
remains We're placed In front of the speakers
stand in the house of representatives and to
an immense congregation of legislators, off.
Gals, citizens and visitors from various adj
joining states, Rev Stuart Robinson, who
afterward rose into distinguished prominence
In the Presbyterian church, preached a most
powerful sermon upon the life and character
of the deceased The procession to the grave
was more than mile in length, headed by
Col. William Preston, of the house, as chief
marshal, and assisted by Gen. Daniel Morgan,
Hamilton Pope, of the senate; E. B. Gather
AMI Robert Todd, of the house, and Gen.
Peter Dudley, of Frankfort and Gen John
l. Pratt, of Scott county.
Col. johnson was typical Kentuckian,
about feet 10 inches i'll height, splendid in
bis proper tons, but inclining in his latter
days to corpulcnce. He was never married
but his brotners descendants are numerous in
the Blue Grass region of Kentucky, and many
have risen to high positions of honor and
trust. w. H JR-